Iberdrola and the free market: how to check if you're being overcharged

Iberdrola and the free market: how to check if you're being overcharged

Do you pay your electricity bill to Iberdrola and suspect you're being charged a higher price than you should be? A message circulating online claims that the utility is moving many customers to the free market with rates more expensive than the Tarifa de Último Recurso (TUR), Spain's regulated tariff. The text, which has been shared on consumer forums, offers a guide to check it on your bill and, if necessary, request the switch. The key lies in distinguishing between Iberdrola Comercialización de Último Recurso, S.A.U. (regulated market) and Iberdrola Generación S.A.U. (free market).

The energy price: the first clue

The original message details the TUR reference prices: 0,142319 €/kWh for the standard rate, and 0,172825 €/kWh during peak hours and 0,064047 €/kWh during off-peak hours for those on time-of-use tariffs. If the "Energía Consumida" (Energy Consumed) section of your bill shows a higher price, the author concludes that the company is applying an overcharge. It also warns that discounts on contracted capacity can be an illusion: they are applied to 23,728090 €/kW year, while the TUR sets 20,633129 €/kW year. In other words, the discount is calculated on an inflated base.

The complaint doesn't stop there. The text mentions other charges that sneak onto the bill, such as emergency electrical insurance or payment protection, which increase the final amount without providing any real service. The recommendation is to request the switch to the TUR, which has no commitment period or penalty, by phone or through the company's website.

Consumers' response: between skepticism and outrage

Reactions were not long in coming. Some dismiss the message as nonsense and throw it in the bin, while others find it "interesting" and claim they are experiencing similar practices. One participant recounts that Iberdrola salespeople knock on his door offering savings of 1,5 € a month, only for him to later discover he is being charged 120 € a year in maintenance fees. The fine print takes center stage once again.

The discussion drifts toward the nature of the free market. It is argued that liberalization allows companies to set whatever prices they want, and that offers for customers with less than 10 kW are "small change", often conditional on also contracting gas and maintenance services. The conclusion for some is that the TUR remains the best option for most people.

The bill maze: how to identify your supplier

To know whether you are in the regulated or free market, the text indicates you should look at the left margin of your bill or the top right, above the barcode. There you will find the name of the company: Iberdrola Comercialización de Último Recurso, S.A.U. or Iberdrola Generación S.A.U. The difference is not trivial: the first applies the regulated tariff, the second charges whatever price it pleases.

The confusion is such that some customers believe that once they leave the TUR they cannot return. However, the original message insists there is no commitment period or penalty, and that the switch can be requested at any time. The reality is that the company doesn't make it easy, but the law allows you to switch back.

The future of the TUR and the social bonus

The thread speculates about the possibility of the TUR and the social bonus (bono social, a discounted electricity rate for vulnerable households) disappearing. One participant says that at an Iberdrola office he was told that "the social bonus is going to be removed, and the TURs too". There is no official confirmation, but the antiestéticar is there. Meanwhile, the general recommendation is to stay in the regulated market if you have less than 10 kW, and to distrust offers that sound too good to be true.

What about you? Have you checked your bill?